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Oriam
The easternmost of the Seven Kingdoms, and the youngest. The people of Oriam are tasked with a hard life of slowly assimilating the eastern steppes into useful farmland, claiming it for civilization. This was never viewed as an easy task, but since its conception, the country has been plagued with numerous problems. Creation Two generations following the collapse of Thance, the Kingdoms of the time convened to settle the matter of human expansion east of existing civilization, into the Steppes. While all six nations generally agreed that expanding into these areas would create security buffer for all against the far-flung barbarians that dwelt in the Steppes, it could not be decided which nations would have the right to colonize this region. Those nations to the west were at an obvious disadvantage. With no secure land route to allow for easy settling of the lands, they would not be able to claim and secure any holdings without great cost, while nations that bordered the frontier were inclined to blockade it and allow only their own settlers forward, thereby expanding their own borders. Eventually, a decision was reached which created an uneasy compromise: a new Kingdom would be created to expand as far east as is feasible. The Steppes were not very profitable land compared to Eurale proper, and thus the Monarchss of the time were convinced that any nation sprung entirely from this region would not rise to threaten their own power. Furthermore, the creation of this new country would generate the buffer they desired, securing their Kingdoms against the barbarian hordes. Grand Duke Adonis of Taberland was ultimately selected to become King of this new country (he was quite popular at the time among the royal courts) and named his new nation The Kingdom of Oriam. He relinquished his holdings in Taberland as part of the requirements for this ascension, though he and his descendants still hold the title of Grand Duke of Taberland as a matter of tradition. King Adonis was annointed by the Order of the Chalice. Hardships Oriam has struggled since its birth. It has faced constant raids from both human savages in the Steppes and Ahoul raiders even further east. The latter in paricular are ruthless when it comes to destruction of property. They often do not steal anything at all, and are in stead content with destroying crops and towns, knocking over any structure they find and generally undermining society wherever it can be found. Some say they are motivated by their strange religion, but it is difficult to know for certain. Political System Oriam is organized into a proper feudal state, but it is highly polarized. Due to the strife faced by nearly all of the peasants throughout the nation, unrest has become regular. Hamlets and villages frequently overthrow the local authority, and it has become common practice for many outlying magistrates to keep a light steed on the ready at all times in case they need to make a quick retreat to their liege-lord. The noble classes of the nation are surprisingly repressed as a result of the harsh conditions of the country. While the nobles of Oriam are not especially less wealthy than those of other kingdoms, public displays of wealth and prestige are not practiced often. This is illustrated (and some would say caused) by an incident in a town devastated by an Ahoul raid and the famine that resulted. A local Baronet had decided to inspect the town in full regal attire, mounted on a purebred stallion. He and his guards were swamped by a mob of peasants, incensed by his brash presence and typical inaction during and following the raid, and was pulled from his horse as he crossed the town town square. He was beaten to death and his possessions taken by the throng. Unfortunately, the noble was also quite young and had not yet sired an heir. His house was dissolved as a result. It remains a chilling example of the social climate in Oriam. Briefly, the major social orders of the country can be organized on either side of the polarization. Peasants form the bulk of one group. They have suffered the most in the face of this frontier colonization, and typically feel betrayed both by the nobility of Oriam, and whatever rulers they left behind in their countries of origin. Most peasants of Oriam are poor immigrants from the other Kingdoms, come for the promise of new land and harvest. Unfortunately, they discover (often post-immigration) that their citizenship in their Kingdom of origin was automatically renounced when they entered Oriam. Thus, for what little immigration there is between other Kingdoms, there is almost none leaving Oriam. The Monks of the Order of the Chalice in Oriam have (some would say, wisely) chosen to surrender their monastic pursuits in favour of a more community-oriented organization. This has aligned them with the peasants, though this has cost them the respect of the nobility, and has alienated them from the rest of their order throughout the Seven Kingdoms. The laws in Oriam strictly limit the powers of the Order within its borders, in contrast to other nations where the Order is far more privleged. In opposition to this group sits the nobility and, to a less extent, the various tradespersons present in Oriam. While they tend to control all measures of security within the country, they have opted to mobilize their various militaries mainly to secure their own holdings (that is, against the peasantry themselves). This has contributed greatly to the current climate, though it is not the only factor. Persons of Note King Ryence King of Oriam, Ryence has been in power for only four years. Though he is not the youngest of the Monarchs in terms of age, he has been on his throne for the shortest period of time. His deceased father was the first King of Oriam, and its founding patriarch. Ryence has only weak lineage to the ancient Royal Family of Thance, but he does hold high noble title in Taberland. Ryence has remained largely neutral in the polarization occuring in his own country, shielded by both his own Court as well as his exacting wife, Queen Nanesi. Ryence is quite beloved among the peasantry, however, and is often referred to endearingly as "Great Father" or "Grand Father" as a result of his stature. The peasantry often look to Ryence for reprieve from the nobles and the hordes, despite the realities of what his feudal position implies. Grand Friar Hamlet The Grand Friar of Oriam falls far from the usual perception of a Monk of the Order of the Chalice. A large, bull of a man, he is frequnetly outspoken, with a very prominent public life. Like the entire Oriam branch of the Order, he is very involved with the goings on of the community at large, often sharing in resources and the burden of strife. His predecessor was more of a traditional Friar, and it is only under Hamlet's direction that the monks in Oriam have diverged to this new path. This, combined with his sympathy for the peasantry, has made him unpopular among even moderate members of the Order in other parts of Eurale, and among the nobility of Oriam. Never the less, his strong political stance and firebrand demeanour has made him a powerful political force in the fledgeling country.